The Fortaleza leaks last summer suggest that these glasses could be coming.

Microsoft recently filed a patent for augmented reality (AR) glasses that would allow users to play multiplayer games in real space with each other, according to documents from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (uncovered by NeoGAF). The patent covers not only the technology of the glasses, but also a system for player matching and information that the glasses would collect.

The filing includes patent art from the perspective of two boys wearing the glasses while sword-fighting in augmented reality over “Jane Smith (The Queen)” as the user decides between games including Dance, Tennis, and “search and find.” In the system Microsoft describes, users send voice invitations to play a game via the glasses, and then the glasses use eye-tracking, facial recognition, depth information, and “device information” like gyroscope or accelerometer readings to conduct the game.

A leak last summer suggested that AR glasses were part of the long-term trajectory of Microsoft’s upcoming console, the Xbox One. The leaked PowerPoint showed that the company intended to first launch the console, then a pay-TV service, then “Fortaleza” glasses that would not only work with the console over Wi-Fi but would present AR experiences in the real world as a mobile device via Xbox Live.

The roadmap suggested that these AR glasses would not appear until some time in 2015. That’s two long years before we can challenge real people to virtual swordfights over a real, but also virtual, queen.

Casey Johnston
Casey Johnston is the former Culture Editor at Ars Technica, and now does the occasional freelance story. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Applied Physics. Twitter@caseyjohnston

The fact that they refer to it as 'sword fighting' when the illustration clearly shows its fencing, foil I would guess but maybe very bad form epee, should immediately disqualify the entire patent.This would be like referring to tennis, baseball, or golf as ball hitting.

The fact that they refer to it as 'sword fighting' when the illustration clearly shows its fencing, foil I would guess but maybe very bad form epee, should immediately disqualify the entire patent.This would be like referring to tennis, baseball, or golf as ball hitting.

I was all set to downvote you for being too picky, then you go and break out that analogy and I had no choice but to agree. Tip of the hat to you, sir.

I'd be interested to hear how they manage the physical feedback necessary to implement e.g. a parry in the fencing example, where your sword deflects/stops whether you want it to or not. I could imagine some sort of haptic feedback, but it sounds nontrivial to implement seamlessly and without significant latency. Still a ways from the holodeck, sadly.

Shocking that there any angle around AR glasses still left to patent. Silicon Graphics filed several patents around glasses as an alternative user interface. It's hard to imagine they weren't generic enough to leave any room for other inventors.

I love Kinect but after 3 years it has become stale. Kudos to Microsoft for trying to innovate and making games more exciting.

Well, I'm interested, though it's surprising that Google had left this door open. AR games can be a lot more fun than people realize - and it would be great to have a better form factor than the phone.

On second thought, maybe they could project detached limbs in other places. I wonder how well you can reproduce additive/subtractive colors on the display; since the article image gives the impression those glasses are transparent with a projection over them, the projection would need to create what it thinks is the background behind the hand (possibly building the perspective from previous captured frames or deducing it from local colors). This could still introduce a potential color space problem which you could just circumvent by making the glasses opaque and project the entire scene; then, everything would be additive color. Second generation, maybe.

Oh, and I was going to add ... are there any prior art concerns over this, or is the USPTO going to allow a new category "on AR glasses"? I'm not sure why Oculus Rift should be prevented from providing the same type of services with a microphone, speakers, and a front-mounted camera to build the projection ... [edit] and a wireless antenna to coordinate game updates with other units.

I predict a long and expensive court case that says it does, but that Microsoft's invention only borrows from the old patent; since it covers different functionality, it will be allowed to stand on its own. Sounds like they could have licensing leverage in the future if this gets approved. Oh boy.